Organising a creative, adventurous and contented life

July 2012

26/07/2012

It’s not only possible to clear your email inbox to empty on a regular basis; it’s actually easier than trying to do the same thing with your hard copy paperwork.

For a start: to create a new file folder for an email, you don’t need to go to your stationery cupboard, pull out and label a folder, before moving other files out of the way to squish it into your filing cabinet. Instead, with a few clicks of the mouse, your filing is done!

Think of your email inbox as an in tray. Its aim is to capture incoming requests and information, but not to function as a storage system or to do list.

The key is to set up an electronic system to keep your emails flowing as you action, complete, store or delete them.

Once your messages leave the inbox, there are three man 'stations' you can send them to:

action folders;

reference folders; and

the recycle bin.

Set up your action and reference folders to reflect your situation. Your action folders might include: to do (divided by project); to pay; to reconcile; to sign; to read; and pending. Reference folders are for information that needs no further action, but that you want to refer to again. When you spot a pattern in emails you want to save, set up a folder for them, such as music downloads, online purchases, or family correspondence.

Sort your email inbox regularly, thoroughly, and rapidly. When you face a long list of emails it can be daunting, but there are ways to ‘flush’ the list so it becomes more manageable. On the first round, deal with easy and obvious emails: such as those you can delete or that clearly belong in a particular folder. If you can reply to an email in a sentence or two do it straight away (but don’t get side-tracked!). On the second review, process those emails that need more thought, and finally, address the difficult ones.

Obviously, emails added to your action folders still need to be actioned. Extract the specific tasks from them and write them onto your to do list; or, if they are recurring tasks such as bills to pay, set aside a regular block of time to open and process that folder.

Here are some final tips to help you reach the holy grail of email organisation:

Once your inbox is empty, try to clear it at the end of every day.

If your inbox contains hundreds of emails, set up ‘To Process’ and ‘Urgent’ folders. Scan for anything critical and quarantine these in the urgent folder, and move everything else into the processing folder. Start with a clean slate, and deal with the backlog gradually.

Always focus on driving your inbox to empty. If you have to, set up an ‘Undecided’ folder for those final tricky emails rather than let them hover in the inbox.

If you use a shared email address, set up folders for each person and drag and drop messages to each recipient to sort at their convenience.

23/07/2012

If we want to free up time, an obvious solution is to find a regular commitment and get out of it. But what if we need to continue with our current commitments for now; is there another painless way to release some of our time?

Yes, by deleting a habit or a task (or even a step in a task process).

Because our personal habits and routines are so easily—and often unconsciously—built, they often go unscrutinised. I’m talking about the way we do laundry, the steps we take to process paperwork, or how we sit down to watch TV each evening even if there’s nothing we particularly want to see.

The upside to dropping something we do regularly is that we free up time on an ongoing basis—it’s not a one-off.

So here's our challenge:

“Delete one thing: a recurring task or habit.”

Here are some ideas:

Stop ironing non-essentials (which is just about everything, bar business shirts, which you can probably even buy in a crease-free fabric these days).

Get rid of the rug you have to straighten every day.

Teach your children to do a task so they can take complete responsibility for it.

Here’s mine: this week I stopped reading my favourite blogs via clicking on each one individually on my Internet Favourites menu. Instead, I subscribed to a feed reader and now I open one link to see new posts on all my favourite blogs in the one location. This is going to save me so much time!

17/07/2012

A few people have asked what clothing I packed for my two-month trip last year, when I took clothes for both Summer and Winter weather in a carry-on sized bag.

I love to put together and talk about packing lists, so I’m happy to oblige :) You are also welcome to share your packing lists and tips with me as I love to find out how I can pack even lighter.

First, a little about the trip. We travelled in Australia from mid-Winter in New South Wales, to Cape York at the tip of Queensland in the dry season (which felt like Summer). We experienced everything from minus temperatures overnight to thirty degrees Celcius during the day; mostly sunny but with occasional rain. We travelled into remote dusty areas, did some work on an outback cattle station, stayed at a resort in a large city, and went out for dinner a few times.

Packing for every eventuality across two months (cold to hot weather, and casual to dressy)—all in one little bag—was a fun organising challenge.

I divided my clothes into three modules. Each item was rolled to save space and avoid creasing, and this also made everything quickly accessible. I chose sturdy yet quick-dry fabrics, in coordinating colours that wouldn’t show too much dust, and that could be dressed up or down. I also had a bonus outfit: the one I was wearing (which I've added to the list below).

Module 1The first module to go into the bag was for trousers, shorts, and skirts.

Cargo pants x 2 (including a black pair that were quite dressy)

Hiking pants x 1

Shorts x 2

Denim skirt x 1

Module 2The second module held tops.

Singlet tops x 2

T-shirts x 2

Long tops x 3 (including a thermal polypro)

Light cardigan x 1

Module 3The module in the top of the bag was for underwear and socks—about 5 sets of everything.

Underneath the modules, I packed a fleece (the one I’m wearing in the photo) and a waterproof outer shell. In the side pocket was a belt, swimsuit, cap, beanie, and gloves. I also stashed a pair of tracksuit pants and a top in my sleeping bag.

Although I could have packed a little less, I was never caught without something suitable to wear, even when there was no time or water to wash clothes for a few days. Every item was worn, and the red top proved particularly versatile—I wore it both horse riding and out to dinner :)

Dressing for hot weather was easy; I just wore the lighter clothes. When it was cold, I layered: trousers, thick socks, and the thermal top with the cardigan and fleece.

13/07/2012

A separate wallet for store cards. Even though I rarely accept these cards, I still have several that I occasionally use when I'm out shopping or at an appointment. However, they're too bulky to keep in my everyday wallet.

A couple of years ago, I tried to solve the problem by taking the cards out of my wallet and keeping them at home, figuring I'd remember to take them with me when I needed them. Of course, I didn't!

Instead, I bought a small card holder to store these important but infrequently used cards. I keep it in an out-of-the-way compartment in my handbag.

So easy when I'm shopping: if I need a card, I know I have it with me and can find it quickly; and if I don't, it's out of the way.

09/07/2012

I discovered a fascinating journal article via a bulletin circulated at work last week. The authors of the article, If money doesn’t make you happy, then you probably aren’t spending it right*, researched ways we can maximise the pleasure we get from spending our money.

I wanted to share some of their findings with you because it turns out that what provides most value in spending aligns beautifully with some of the principles of organising.

To condense the extensive research into a short list, below are the major findings presented in the abstract. “Specifically, we suggest that consumers should:

(1) buy more experiences and fewer material goods;(2) use their money to benefit others rather than themselves;(3) buy many small pleasures rather than fewer large ones;(4) eschew extended warranties and other forms of overpriced insurance;(5) delay consumption;(6) consider how peripheral features of their purchases may affect their day-to-day lives;(7) beware of comparison shopping; and(8) pay close attention to the happiness of others.” (p. 115)

Whew, that’s a lot to take in! It turns out that money can buy (or contribute to) the things that make us happy, but only if we are smart about it. And research shows we generally don’t get it right. We are not very good at predicting what will make us happy, nor by how much or for how long, and we tend to overlook our ability to adapt well to both positive and negative events.

The focus of extra organising is to shift our attention onto experiences over things, and when it comes to happiness, you probably already know intuitively that experiences bring more lasting happiness than buying stuff. This is backed up by research, and the authors of the paper found that people feel better in all aspects of an experience: anticipation, being engaged in the event, and looking back.

The way experiences keep us focused on the present calms the ‘mind-wandering’ that reduces our contentment. And we are less likely to regret the options we missed out on because each experience is unique and difficult to compare with any other; unlike the myriad of similar product choices we are faced with when we enter a store.

But what about when we buy a product—how do we make this work to our advantage? One way is to make more small purchases over fewer, bigger ones. Personally, I feel a similar level of excitement over finally getting a new book I’ve been waiting for as driving a new car into the garage (my hubby may disagree). But seriously, our scales of pleasure don’t tip to markedly different levels in accordance with an item’s monetary value.

There is so much more to discuss from this article, but I will have to leave it for other posts.

04/07/2012

I'd like to share some organising tips I've picked up from extended road trips with young children, sometimes into remote areas. Our longest trip was six months in a caravan with a 1- and 3-year-old. Master 1 had just started walking, and Miss 3 was being toilet trained, so the trip was not without its challenges :)

Children naturally fit well with adventure. Sharing an experience with a curious, enthusiastic child adds real richness. Of course, it also brings more unpredictability.

The following organising ideas have helped us through the highs and lows of travel with young children:

Prepare mentally: What do you want to get out of your trip? Also, how will you manage events that are straightforward at home, but more difficult when travelling, such as illness? Not only have we all been sick at the same time (twice), we can also star-rate hospital emergency departments in almost every Australian state and territory (a post about this another time).

Make a travel checklist: Create a template of everything you need to pack. Sketch your vehicle’s storage and map where each item will go.

Downsize everything: Pack enough clothes and food for a week. You can nearly always wash and shop within this timeframe. No matter how long the trip, I use a carry-on sized bag for my clothes. For women, reduce the size of your handbag so you can take it anywhere without it looking out of place. Connect an iPod or mp3 player to your vehicle for music.

Designate a bag for essential supplies: It's important to keep keys, phones, and trip bookings accessible. Stash an extra surprise in your bag to divert an inconsolable tantrum.

Choose toys wisely: We set aside one drawer in our van for toys. These are rotated through a backpack for each child. Tidying everything back into the bags at the end of each day is the only way to keep the backseat area under control. Settling into one place for at least a few days also means you can visit the local library or playgroup, and find other families to share toys with.The best toys often turn out to be experiences, breathtaking scenery, and natural materials such as sand, rocks and shells.

Create a travel book: A great way to put extended travelling into context for young children is to make a “story of the trip” book before you go. Include photos of your child’s family and friends, their house, their “travelling house”, and things you hope to see and do. Prepare older children by giving them a journal and scrapbook to record their special memories along the way. You may also want to blog about the trip to capture your experiences and share them with family and friends at home.

Set up a portable paperwork system: Either a smartphone or laptop with Internet access will help you pay bills easily (switch to electronic billing before you go), save photos and videos, send emails, and maintain a blog. Have mail collected by someone you trust back home, or use a travel mail service, and have important mail forwarded to an upcoming destination. A concertina file folder will keep your papers in order. Reserve slots for incoming paperwork, to pay, to do and pending files. You can also store maps, brochures, and holiday plans.

Do you have any organising tips to make travelling with children easier?

01/07/2012

Every slip of paper, new item of clothing, or book to read takes a precious piece of you—some of your money, time, or energy. Some are worth their cost; but many are not. Be intentional about what you allow into your home and your life, and make sure each one is worthy of its place.

Here are ten ways you can keep clutter from building in your life:

Once you reduce your possessions to those you treasure and use, once you restrict your schedule to essential activities, and once you limit your priority list to only the best, enjoy and appreciate what you have. Use your treasures daily, get stuck into your activities, and focus on your priorities. You’ll get joy and satisfaction from making the most of what you have, rather than chasing the endless high of new things.

Use quality as a filter. When quality guides your purchases, decisions, and actions, you’ll feel better and you’ll add treasure to your life instead of junk.

Restrict entry to your home and schedule. Set up precise entry points: one in tray for paper; one feed reader for blog updates; one diary for appointments. Give each item attention before allowing it to make its way beyond this point.

Be a conscious consumer. Consider the true cost of producing an item, and make a statement through what you buy. You’ll naturally buy less this way.

Treat op shops, garage sales, gifts, and freebies the same way you do full-priced items from regular stores. If you wouldn’t go out and buy it, nor pay full price for it, don’t add it to your life.

Avoid impulsiveness. Spontaneity can be wonderful, but when applied to shopping, it usually ends up tinged with regret. The book you’ve wanted to read for ages is okay; the magazine you picked up on a whim is probably not.

Transform unwanted items into value. Sometimes an item in your home is misplaced. The hot-pink satin slip (don’t laugh, I had one) might now be irrelevant in your wardrobe, but becomes a gem in the kids’ dress-up box.

Set up a system for moving along temporary items. Have a spot for items to return, decide how often you’ll destroy outdated paperwork, and throw out old newspapers when you receive the latest one.

Only sell the most valuable of your clutter. Giving an item to someone else who wants it, or donating it to an op shop, is a simple way to keep things flowing out the door. It’s rarely worth your time and effort to list something for sale.

Don’t agonise over clutter decisions. Try using the benchmark principle. If you still can’t decide quickly, put it in your undecided box and get it out of the way. If you’re unsure whether to add an activity to your schedule, ask for time to think about it. When you know you have a second chance to make a decision, you give yourself space to view the situation with more clarity and perspective.